


we’re ashes on the ground

by littlelooneyluna



Category: robron
Genre: Angst, Based on spoilers, Canon Compliant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-11 23:51:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15327141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlelooneyluna/pseuds/littlelooneyluna
Summary: aaron’s the one who comes home and finds liv and robert.





	we’re ashes on the ground

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this up last week and wanted to post it before the episode aired so here!

The taxi isn’t going fast enough and Aaron’s pissed off by the time he’s a few roads away from the village. The itching has died down now and he’s playing with his wedding ring instead of moving his hands up and down his bloody face.

The shine of the ring catches the window and Aaron sighs as he looks down at it, half a smile on his face disappearing as he think about the idiot who hasn’t answered any of his messages. He had decided to fly out the night before, his mum on his mind and this sadness buried right in his chest and a need to see Robert almost aching him.

But he’s not got any joy so far, not even a text _back_ and he’s more pissed about it than he wants to make out, _only_ because he’s missed Robert more than he thought he would. The thought makes him roll his eyes as they turn into the village and he tries to ring Liv instead, she’s probably got her phone on ‘do not disturb’ and he only sighs when it goes straight to voicemail and proves him right.

He decides it’ll be a surprise then, however confusing it all seems, he’ll make them pay for not only making him come back from the airport on his own but for also not ringing him last night like they do every pissing night.

Aaron sighs a little, a small stroke across his phone brings up Robert’s face, Liv poking her tongue out and Seb firmly in the middle with his eyes wide and happy. He can’t hide the smile creeping on his face as he thinks about how much he’s missed the little boy. It’s he first time he’s actually been away from him and he feels like a proper _dad_ sometimes. The thought makes his heart swell and it only fades when the taxi driver offers to help him to the door.  

“Cheers.” He’s saying, a hand across his suitcase and the other trying to fish for his keys because it’s clear that he can’t rely on Robert or Liv for anything. He’s shuffles  towards the door, stops dead as he yanks his keys out and then the door swings open.

“Yeah, it’s me. I’m home you lazy -“

His hand slips. 

There’s this quickness of breath that collapses, dies, his suitcase is on the floor, forgotten and Liv’s there too. 

She’s sprawled out, there’s this cut stretched out over her forehead and her arm is curved in this horrible way and Aaron’s on the floor before he can think about anything else.

“ _Liv_.” He pushes her shoulder and turns her over so that she’s staring at him, “Liv - open your eyes.” He’s got his hand on her face one second and then the next he’s looking towards the sofa and seeing Robert sprawled out across it, a hand down against the floor.

“Robert she won’t - she won’t wake up. You need to help me.” Aaron’s eyes are wide, frantic as he looks down at her again and tries to shake her awake but it’s not working and she’s still this _broken_ little girl and he can’t help her. “ _Robert_.” He looks back at his husband, annoyed that he’s not trying to help and then his mouth sort of gaps open. “Rob?” 

He lets go of Liv’s hand for a second, tilts his head up a little towards Robert and then there’s this weight being pressed against his chest and it feels like he can’t breathe.

And that’s when the smell consumes him.

It’s everywhere and he pulls a hand over his mouth as he’s on his knees, slapping Robert’s cheeks and trying to shake him as hard as he can.

“Robert?” Aaron’s got tears in his eyes, and they keep threatening to fall as he smells what can only be described as this overwhelming smell of _gas_. On instinct he races towards the kitchen, slams his hand down on the counter after searching around and seeing that nothing has been turned on. He suddenly starts opening all the windows, runs back towards Robert and keeps shaking him because that will fucking work won’t it?

“Rob - _Robert_ , please wake up.” He’s frantic, heaving as he looks back at Liv and then he shudders, and hand over his own mouth as he blinks quickly. “Rob I need you to wake -“ there’s nothing he can say suddenly, just this tightness in his chest and this _ache_ because _nothing_ hurts him more in the world than fucking _this_. “Rob I need ya to wake up for me, come on, you need to help me with Liv and -“

It’s been a matter of minutes. 

It’s been seconds since his mind has raced _there_ and he just shakes his head over and over again before he’s climbing the stairs and -

 _No_.

He’s running quicker than he ever has, he’s racing out the door with this promise of coming back as soon as he can.

And he’s screaming the whole village down until he sees Cain and Doug near the shop and Seb’s in his arms but he isn’t moving.

“He’s not - not _moving_.” Aaron’s got tears in his eyes, then they’re staining his face as Doug tries to calm him down. “Call - call 999 please, I need to get back to -“ Aaron’s hands are shaking, and he tries to pull away from the little boy but he finds himself holding him tighter. 

“What’s happened?” Cain’s almost panicked himself, eyes wide and a hand on Aaron’s back that the younger man pulls away from.

He’s just screaming at him to call a fucking ambulance, he babbles about Robert and Liv and then he’s kissing Seb’s little head and feeling like he’s going to throw up.

“He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t -“ 

And the next minute he knows, this paramedic is trying to look at Seb for him, and he has to hand him over whilst they stand outside the Mill and others run in to help Liv and Robert. 

“I tried to keep him warm.” Aaron’s eyes flicker and the man nods his head, reaches over to get the baby from his arms and Aaron has to kiss his head again before there’s this empty weight in his arms and he stands back. “Aaron - Aaron will be out in a second okay?” He says to Seb, like saying he’s name will make the little one all better.

He staggers back, watches a crowd form as he runs towards the scene of it all and Liv’s still laying out on the floor and Robert’s -

“Please help them.” Aaron’s ringing his hands, tears are crashing down his face and he can’t stop it. He can’t stop this _agony_ and he doubles over in this pain, it travels through him, and then he watches Robert being carried out with Liv.

They’re just being carried out and Aaron’s eyes flicker between them both before he hears the paramedics talking to each other.

“He’s not - he’s not _breathing_? Help him then! You have to help -” 

It’s all he manages to hear, Liv’s got a pulse, it’s faint and she’s banged her head but -

It’s been like this for hours for him. He’s been unconscious for hours. He’s not breathing.

Aaron feels like he’s going to be sick again, feels everything _swirl_ around him and nothing is going to take the feeling away.

 

••

 

Victoria turns up first.

He’s got a coffee and it tastes like dirt but he gulps it down without a care in the world because he’s willing himself to not be weak.

He’s done the crying, he’s rocked back and forth and wanted to scream the place down as the nurses tried to speak to him.

“My little sister.” Aaron had said, eyes wide. “And - my husband - well, not my - he’s not my husband, he’s my boyfriend, and his son.”

And it feels _sick_ saying it like that, denying that he’s married to the idiot when there’s a ring in his suitcase and a question he’s been waiting to ask for weeks.

“Are you okay?” Vic’s being herself, kind and motherly and Aaron buries his head into her side as he tries to speak. He gives himself a minute to get it together and then he raises his head and sniffs. 

“ _Seb_ was there.” It’s not like he can categorise it, seeing all of them like that is the worst experience he’s ever faced, but having to carry the baby out like that is almost all he can think about. “There was - he had a window open in the room, Robert always likes him getting a breeze doesn’t he.” It could have made a difference, he prays.

He plays with his wedding ring again, brow furrowed and this tension in his gut that won’t subside as he thinks about the fact that they’d been alone like that for how long.

“He does yeah.” Vic nods, sniffs a little and then shuffles closer towards him. “Aaron, I was round there yesterday afternoon, I don’t get -“

“Carbon dioxide poisoning.” Aaron whispers, shaking his head over and over again as he sits there and tries to breathe. He’s been checked over himself but he feels like a fraud considering the state they were in. “Something in the boiler.” He whispers and then he gulps. “Liv had a pulse but Robert didn’t.” 

He says it and the tears already know that they should be falling, so they do and he has to grip hold of the chair to stop himself thinking about Robert dying on him after all they have been through this year.

“He’ll be okay.” Vic says the only thing she can say. “You know him, he won’t leave you now, not after everything.”

Aaron holds his hands together, watches his knuckles turn white. “After _everything_ , and it ends up like this?”

A gas leak. Robert slowly dying in their home, his sister barely alive, Seb in the worst possible way all by himself upstairs.

“Hey, it’s not the end.” Vic squeezes at his arm and he wills himself to not lose it with her as she tries her best. And that’s all anyone can do, try until the nurses have more information and the doctors offer him more than sad smiles.

“Your sister is breathing on her own, she seems to have suffered a nasty hit to the head. It’s probably because of the dizziness from the gas.” 

Aaron blows out a breath, nods his head and then they’re telling him that she’ll be okay. They’re saying that she’s lucky but Robert isn’t. 

“Unfortunately he wasn’t breathing upon arrival...”

And it goes from there, he’s in a coma, he’s not strong enough to cope with how much he has inhaled.

“Okay, okay and Seb?”

It all nearly collapses around Aaron as he waits. 

“He’s breathing, but he needs our help a little more than we’d like. We’ll have to monitor him.”

Aaron nods at the news, asks to see him and he doesn’t move from the seat until Liv’s asking for him. He’s got a hand across the glass cot, chest moving up and down slowly and Aaron just wants to hold his hand but he can’t can he?

It’s Liv’s room next and he feels like a zombie, drifting aimlessly as he sits down and holds at her hand, squeezes tight as she moves about and frowns. She pulls the breathing mask away from her face and sighs suddenly.

“Rob.” She croaks out, “ _Seb_.” She’s in this panic and Aaron flattens her hair with his hand before trying to smile faintly at her.

“It’s okay.” He lies. “They’re all going to be okay I promise.” 

“My ‘ead hurt, I couldn’t think -“

Aaron gulps hard. “Don’t think about any of that, you’re better now. You’re going to be fine. Everyone’s going to be fine.”

 

••

Aaron stands outside Robert’s room for hours. He can’t bring himself to go inside because he’s scared that he’ll die if he comes near.

He feels like the grim reaper or something deadly and bad luck follows him. It’s why Robert and him have this epic history of being in hospitals, having these tearful painful memories almost annually.

Eventually, his mum edges him in, a day after this has all happened and Robert is so small against the bed that it is almost too hard to ignore. 

“Hey you.” Aaron’s fumbling about, a finger on his wedding ring. “I didn’t know what to say so I didn’t come in.” He gulps. “But I promise, I’ve been looking after Seb for you.” 

Seb's making progress, he’s doing better than anyone thought he would be doing anyway.

“They kept saying how small he was, but he’s a little fighter.” Aaron’s breathing out slowly, has a hand on Robert’s now. “Just like his daddy eh?” 

Aaron’s head aches a little as he thinks about the fact that Rebecca’s still not been tacked down. It’s a story for another time as he hears Robert’s machine beep on, his eyes still firmly shut.

“You’re going to need to wake up for us.” Aaron holds at his hand, blinks quickly and bends down a little hesitantly, presses a kiss to his cheek. “I love you Rob.” 

And he can’t stop the way he cries.

 

••

 

He’s able to hold Seb, walk around with him a bit but he’s not all clear by any standards and neither is Liv but she keeps pretending she’s fine.

“It’s okay, I’ve stopped being sick now.” Liv shrugs a little like it’s no big deal, but she’s still shaken. Aaron holds at her hand all the time now, smiles a little as she responds because he’s haunted by how responsive she was. 

“I know.” Aaron says, watches her reach out and hold Liv by herself like she’s proving a point. “But you’re not out of the woods yet.” He explains. “And Rob -“

Liv looks away, and Aaron can’t speak for a second. It’s been three days now and he’s still trapped, he’s still so far away from them all and it’s not fucking fair. “He wouldn’t wake up.” She frowns, like she’s trying to remember. “I was - I can’t remember -“

But Aaron tells her she doesn’t have to try so hard, that it wasn’t all her fault but she’s adamant that she’s to blame, she’s a groggy mess of a girl and he aches a little for her as she asks how Robert is again.

“He’s still in the - the coma.” Aaron says cautiously because it hurts to say. “His lungs were bad after he was shot, so it’s a little - little hard.” 

Liv sniffs, a nod of her head and tears forming in her eyes. “But he just needs time.” 

Aaron shudders, Seb’s slow with his movements as Liv holds him up and he can’t help but take him from her just in case she’s feeling dizzy again.

“Haven’t got much of that.” He mumbles, and she’s surprised into this awfully scared expression until he tries to smile. “I wasted so much time didn’t I?”

Liv is still frowning at him, shaking her head. “No. No you didn’t -“

Aaron can only raise his head though, look into Liv’s eyes and try to stop from crying. “I wanted him back. I wanted us to work and I kept _telling_ him we were over like we could be.” He holds Seb closer to his chest and Liv stays silent. “And the - the minute I finally get everything together, it all falls apart again.”

He hears the sound of heels approaching, sees his mum by the door and he falls into her chest just as the nurse comes to get Seb.

“I’ll be round soon okay?” Aaron calls out for Seb as he goes and then he’s hearing his mum promise to get some coffees for them as Liv tries her best to console him.

“Nothing’s fallen apart.” Liv promises, blinks quickly, over and over again. 

“Of course it has. We were supposed to come home weeks ago and I was supposed to ask him, I was supposed to do it all _right_ and -“

“Ask him?” 

Aaron’s face turns bright red and he can’t breathe for a second as Liv half smiles at him. 

“As in -“

“Yeah.” Aaron sniffs, eyes watery and sad and this softness about it all for a second. He allows butterflies to bloom in his stomach about the prospect of it all for the first time in days. “So he needs to wake up.”

“He will.”

He prays.

 

••

He mourns his little sister, the one who’s still fighting but won’t be able to be as strong as they all want her to.

He holds a hand over his mother’s stomach and cries and then she’s crying with him. She’s sorry she didn’t tell him, sorry that she didn’t keep an eye on his family when he wasn’t around to.

It hurts but she has hope, she tells him as much. 

And Aaron decides that being positive is the only real thing he can cling onto right now. So he is, he sits with Robert for days and waits. 

He calms Liv down when she’s convinced that _Lachlan_ pushed her to the ground, made all of this happen and he has to remind her of the grudge she has against him that’s making all of this more confusing for her.

And he waits. He waits in silence, other times he talks to Robert. “Stay strong for me yeah?”

He says that a lot. He says it until Robert wakes up.

He’s confused, has a hand over his face and his chest rises up and down over and over again as he panics.

“Hey. You’re in the hospital. You’re - you’re going to be fine.” Aaron’s got tears running down his face and relief in his heart and he presses a kiss towards Robert’s forehead before he’s alerting the nurse.

It takes a few hours later for Robert to be properly talking, he’s got the breathing mask against his face and blinks quickly as he attempts to look at Aaron and not the muddled blurs around him.

“You - you came back?” Robert says slowly and Aaron squeezes his hand, smiles faintly.

“Of course I did. I missed you too much.” Aaron bites his lip, the smile on his face is replaced with this worried expression. “You scared the life out of me.” He whispers, and Robert just holds his hand for a second before Aaron watches the panic begin again.

“ _Seb_.” His eyes are wide. “Seb and Liv. They were -“ 

Aaron rushes forward, his body pressed against Robert as he tries to shield him from his own panic. “Fine. They’re fine. Seb’s doing well okay?”

Robert’s eyes water, this sadness building as he tosses and turns on the bed. “I wanted my - my Aaron so I was on the sofa.” He gulps, eyes blinking slower now and Aaron’s face falls as he realises why he was on the sofa. “I didn’t want to - to move from -“

“You sap.” Aaron holds Robert’s hand and kisses it. “Rob, there was a gas leak. It’s why you’re here okay? Do you understand?”

Robert only looks confused but he nods. “I don’t remember much.” Only that’s normal apparently. “Why weren’t you home with me?”

He says it so softly that Aaron starts crying again, and he has to explain everything to him as Robert tries to listen.

“Okay.” Robert whispers, and Aaron presses a kiss to his head again. “Seb, Liv, I want -“

“I’ll get them.”

Only Robert’s still too out of it to hold Seb, so Aaron has to lean the little boy over and he holds tighter than he ever has before. He’s not ready to tell Robert how ill he was. 

For now, they’re all safer than they were and that’s all that matters.

 

••

A few days go by and Robert starts building his strength up in this commendable way but the memory problem is still there.

And he’s blaming himself for the gas leak. 

“Maybe I - I didn’t - maybe I did something to the boiler.” He’s frowning, sitting up in bed and Aaron’s eating the toast that he’s shaken his head at. “I could have caused it.”

Only Aaron tells him to stop it. “You wouldn’t have done that.” He says. “You leave me to do all the handy work don’t you?”

“But you were gone.” Robert frowns even more now. “Isn’t that what you said before?”

Aaron nods faintly, holds Robert’s hand a little and then smiles faintly. “I’m back now.” He whispers, and Robert blows out a shaky breath.

“You’re not allowed to leave again.”

And Aaron wouldn’t dare.

 

••

Vic puts her foot in a little, she squeezes Robert and tells him not to bother listening to Liv’s latest outburst.

And it sets Robert’s mind working, Aaron can see, from the bedside chair, and he wants it to stop. 

“You just focus on getting better.” But Robert raises an eyebrow like he wants to know what’s going on. “Liv had a dream, nightmare I suppose. She said Lachlan was in the house when it happened.”

And Robert’s jaw tenses. “I don’t remember -“

“Neither does she.” Aaron shrugs this shrug like it doesn’t even matter anyway and Robert lets it go. “How’s your breathing?” Aaron decides to change the topic, watches Robert nod again and hold his hand. 

He’s started doing that more often than not. Laying back and holding Aaron’s hand like he doesn’t need to do anything else.

And Aaron’s besotted by it a little.

 

••

It’s been a week since it’s happened and Aaron’s luckier than he ever thought he was considering how well they’re all doing. 

It could have been a lot _worse_ and he doesn’t bare thinking about the fact that Robert wasn’t _breathing_.

But then he has a little break down at his bedside doesn’t he?

“I love you so much.” Aaron whispers against Robert’s cheek, makes both of them turn into this soppy mess. “And you - you weren’t _breathing_.”

Robert looks up at him, eyes watery now. “It was bad?” 

Aaron bites his lip, “It was bad.” He explains, as quickly as he can. “And I thought you - I was so scared that -“

Robert gulps, “I’m okay.” Aaron raises his head and scowls a little. “I’m getting there.” He settles on.

“Yeah, well I’m going to be there. Every step of the way.” 

“Do you promise?” Robert looks down, looks like he’s all unsure and confused and Aaron holds him by the chin, raises his head up. 

“Close your eyes for me.” Aaron says, decides to fuck any sort of romance and roses and candles and slowly kneels down, one knee and all that jazz. “Open.” He says, and Robert’s genuinely never looked at Aaron this way before. 

It’s shock, and surprise, and _love_ and -

There’s just so _much_ of every single emotion and it’s all mixed together in this amazing way.

“Aaron -“

“Before you ask, it’s not ‘cause you nearly died on me again. Or - or ‘cause I panicked and didn’t know if I could call you my husband when they asked who I was when we - we came in here.” He’s shaking, literally shaking and he’s crying because that’s his thing isn’t it? “It’s because - it’s because I _love_ you and we’ve been through so much this part year. I’ve been without you and I can’t stand it. I want to be with you, forever.” He blinks quickly. “I want our family forever, please - please know that. “So would you mind, would you mind marrying me again?”

Robert doesn’t speak for a second, just stares at Aaron and then he’s got tears running down his face. He doesn’t cry. He doesn’t ever cry like this but -

“Of course I’ll marry you again.” Robert whispers the words and the world falls in on itself, balloons bursts and confetti falls and Aaron’s being pulled up onto his feet. “Come here.” Robert breathes out, eyes warm for the first time in days. Aaron smiles and then he’s being kissed, and Robert has to catch his breath once they’re pulling away. 

“You really want to marry me?” Robert has a hand across Aaron’s, and the younger man looks up at him, smiles. 

“I just asked you didn’t I?” Aaron says and Robert doesn’t say anything for a second before Aaron’s pulling a ring onto Robert’s finger and making Robert laugh. “There. Picked that out in Malta.” 

Robert just stares down at it, in awe. “I’ve never - never felt so special before.” He whispers. “You - you’re really going to be Mr Sugden.”

There’s a smile on his face, and it fades a little as Aaron tells him to piss off. Then Aaron’s rolling his eyes and stroking Robert’s side. “I’m already Mr Sugden.” He settles on, and they kiss, and it’s soft and sweet and beautiful and -

“Congratulations then!” 

It’s Vic, she’s holding Seb and Chas and Liv are standing right behind her.

And Aaron gets to kiss Robert once more before they descend onto them. 


End file.
